Abnormal lives, p.13
Abnormal Lives, page 13
Wayne smiled. “I’m glad that I could do that for you.”
Wayne lifted Simone’s head up and softly kissed her lips. “Maybe you can help me with something.”
“What might that be?”
“The little surprise that’s going to be here in a minute.”
“Surprise? What are you talking about?”
“Just a little something special I had planned for us tonight.”
Simone laid her head back down on Wayne’s chest, pondering what the little something special he spoke of might be. Maybe it’s flowers. I hope not. Maybe it’s a mink. Naw, it’s probably some type of jewelry. Maybe I’ll give Paris his stuff back after all.
There was a knock on the door. Wayne slid from underneath Simone, put on his boxers, and went to answer the door. Simone got out of bed, slid on her skirt and top, and followed Wayne to the door. Wayne opened the door and a tall, thin, leggy, mocha-colored woman, wearing a sultry, low-cut red dress, walked in and closed the door behind her. Simone stood there with her arms folded across her chest, watching as Wayne kissed the woman. Wayne placed his arm around his visitor’s waist.
“What is this supposed to be?” Simone asked.
“Surprise,” Wayne said as he swatted his visitor’s backside. “Simone, this is Michelle. She’s going to be joining us tonight.” Wayne kissed Michelle on her neck. “Damn, Simone. Her skin is almost as soft as yours. Come see; I think a kiss would be the perfect way for you two to get acquainted.”
Simone’s eyes flooded with tears and she immediately charged Wayne and Michelle, not yet knowing whom she planned to take her anger out on. Michelle grabbed onto Wayne. Simone grabbed a handful of Michelle’s long brown hair and snatched her off of Wayne. Simone clawed Michelle’s face, and then drew her hand back to smack Michelle.
“Hold on!” Wayne yelled as he pulled Simone off Michelle and pinned her against the wall. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“How you gonna bring this bitch up in here like this? Huh?” Simone screamed. “I thought—”
“You thought what?” Wayne shouted, spraying Simone with saliva.
“Just get the fuck out of my face!” Simone screamed, kneeing Wayne in his groin.
“Bitch!” Wayne snapped, squeezing Simone’s jaw and slamming her head into the wall. “Don’t do that shit again. Fuck is you thinking ’bout.”
“Let the fuck go of me!” Simone screamed.
“I swear,” Wayne said, squeezing Simone’s jaw tighter. “You lucky I ain’t one of those grimy-ass niggas off the street ’cause I’d break your fucking face.”
“Please, you don’t have it in you,” Simone said.
“You just like every other hoe. Dumb; don’t know shit. You lucky I gave your ass the time of day.” Wayne turned around and looked at Michelle. “Look at her. That’s what kind of woman I’m used to having on my arm; models and actresses. Not a loose-pussy, flabby-ass tramp that works at a bank.”
Wayne looked at Michelle and nodded toward the door. Michelle walked over and swung the door open.
“Now get the fuck out!” Wayne snapped.
Wayne pushed Simone out of the room and slammed the heel of her foot in the door. Simone banged on the door. She wanted to retaliate but, at that point, she was more concerned about retrieving her undergarments and shoes. She didn’t want to be subjected to the stares and whispers of everybody in the lobby who would wonder why the hell a woman was fleeing the hotel without her shoes.
“Give me my shit, Wayne!” Simone yelled.
“Fuck you! I ain’t giving you shit!” Wayne shouted.
Michelle’s high-pitched giggles echoed throughout the hallway. “Where the hell did you get her from? That bitch is crazy.”
“Oh, you ain’t seen shit yet! Trust me on that!” Simone yelled.
A hotel attendant walked by, staring at Simone and wondering what all of the commotion was about.
Simone looked the hotel attendant up and down as she made her way to the elevator. “What the fuck are you looking at? Don’t you have a room to clean or something?”
Simone peeked out of the elevator before stepping out into the lobby. Relieved that the lobby was fairly empty and she only had to endure a few humiliating stares, she pushed her way through the exit and walked out into the rain.
The rain soaked into her clothes in a matter of seconds. Her skirt became heavy and the concrete pinched the bottom of her feet as she made her way across the parking lot.
Simone rummaged through her trunk, grabbed her crowbar, and approached Wayne’s car, envisioning the damage she would cause. I’m gonna give this nigga an automatic air conditioner, she thought as she cocked back the crowbar, ready to strike the windshield. Simone paused. He’s right, she thought. He’s not one of these niggas on the street.
There was no doubt he would be peeved when he walked outside and saw the broken glass scattered across the pavement, looked up, and realized that it came from his car, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t rectify. Hell, he could buy a new car if he wanted to. She could see him sitting around with his friends after he’d managed to cool down, telling them how he had this bitch so gone that when he cut her off, she went ballistic and busted up his car. That wasn’t good enough for her. She needed to see Wayne suffer. She had something better in mind.
Stefan lay under the covers cuddled up with Eugene. Maybe things will work out between us after all, Stefan thought. Eugene had made love to him so passionately, Stefan regretted ever thinking that Eugene was only using him for his money. Maybe Eugene had been under a lot of stress. I can’t believe I was so insensitive, Stefan thought. It had to be hard for Eugene to come home from prison and start over. He was proud of how quickly Eugene had found a job. Eugene’s just been tired from all the hours he’s put in at work; that’s all, Stefan told himself.
Eugene got out of bed to take a shower. “You coming?”
“Naw,” Stefan answered. “I’m going to lie here a while longer.”
“Oh, I have something I want you to take a look at.” Eugene reached in his dresser drawer, pulled out a piece of paper, and handed it to Stefan.
Stefan looked down at the piece of paper. “What the fuck are you doing with an eviction notice?”
“I should be asking you that,” Eugene said. “You’re the one who’s supposed to be paying the rent.”
“Is this why you called me over here?” Stefan asked. “I ain’t talk to you since who knows when and you call me over here, fuck me, and hand me an eviction notice.”
“But why you ain’t been paying it though?”
“’Cause you got a job.”
“But I’m saying though, I don’t get enough to do what I want to do for myself and pay the rent.”
“Oh, so you use your money for partying and impressing bitches, but it’s my job to keep a roof over your head?”
Eugene gritted his teeth. “I don’t mess with no bitches.”
“Please, you’re fucking somebody other than me.”
“She ain’t no bitch.”
“Oh, now the truth comes out,” Stefan said. “Who is she? What’s her name?”
“That’s not important.”
“You’re right,” Stefan said. “But why can’t she pay the rent?” Eugene shrugged. “’Cause.”
“’Cause what, muthafucka? I’m good enough to pay your bills and help you get on your feet but when it’s time for you to go fuck something, I ain’t enough; you need to weigh your options,” Stefan said as he got out of bed and started to get dressed.
“It’s not like that.”
“Well, I just hope she’s healthy and you ain’t give her nothing.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Stefan grabbed his purse off of the table and made his way out the door. “What it means is fuck you, do what you want. I’ll have the last laugh.”
“If you’re gonna carry it like that, then you don’t have to worry about me no more,” Eugene said. “Just like I found you, I’ll find someone else that’s willing to do for me; it’s all good.”
Stefan wanted to walk back in the house and beat the hell out of Eugene but he kept walking. He refused to let Eugene see the tears rolling down his cheeks.
18
Simone lay across the bed in her robe watching the news, eating a slice of the homemade coconut cake that Stefan had made to help comfort her after her misfortune.
Stefan walked in the room and handed Simone her prescription. “Did they say anything about Wayne yet?”
“Naw, not yet.”
“Don’t worry; it’ll be on there,” Stefan said reassuringly. “That reporter I tipped off seemed just a little too interested not to pursue it.”
“I hope so,” Simone whined.
“I can’t wait to see them expose his ass,” Stefan said. “It’s gonna take him a long time to redeem himself after this.”
That’s what Simone was hoping for. If Wayne wasn’t thrashed by the media, thrown in jail, tormented, and frowned upon, she would never be able to live down what she had put herself through.
Simone paused and thought of what she had done after she’d left the hotel. After leaving the hotel she’d driven down the street to the gas station, bought a lighter, a pack of cigarettes, and a forty-ounce bottle of beer. She’d parked her car in a nearby alley, lit five cigarettes one by one and held her breath so she wouldn’t scream as she placed them on her clitoris and labia. Afterward, she’d screwed the top off the forty-ounce and drenched herself with beer. Thirty minutes later, she’d walked into the ER, limped over to the triage area, and told the lady behind the desk that she had been raped. She was immediately escorted to the back where she’d stood naked under a florescent light, crying like a baby. She didn’t know whether her tears were from humiliation or the joy she felt as she thought about how Wayne’s comfortable life was about to turn into a living hell. As far as she was concerned she had been raped and no one knew otherwise, except for Wayne and Michelle and their words would carry very little weight. She had two orifices full of Wayne’s semen and plenty of burns to go along with it. Not to mention the panties and shoes she was forced to leave behind in his room. As far as she was concerned, it was her little secret. The only people on earth who knew the truth were the three of them and she was taking it to the grave with her.
“In local news, former middleweight champion...,” the reporter announced, standing in front of the hotel where the incident had taken place.
“Here it goes,” Stefan said, grabbing the remote and turning the volume up on the TV.
A feeling of dizziness came upon Simone as the reporter continued to relate her story.
“...was arrested here at the Hyatt hotel along with his significant other for the assault and rape of a twenty-two-year-old female.” Simone sat there in awe that her plan was actually coming to fruition. “Sources say that after refusing to participate in sexual activities with the two, she was held against her will, raped, and repeatedly burned.”
Simone snatched the remote from Stefan and cut off the TV.
“Damn, I don’t even want to hear any more.”
Stefan hugged Simone, attempting to console her. “It’s going to be awright, I promise.”
Tears began to stream from Simone’s eyes. “I can’t believe this shit. I swear shit like this only happens to me.”
Stefan was saddened by Simone’s reaction and his inability to comfort her. He pulled the sheets back from the bed and patted his hand on the mattress. “Come on, Simone; lay down and take a nap. Everything will be awright. It hurts but you need to give yourself time to get over this.”
Simone slid under the covers and pulled them over her head and continued crying. She wanted badly to confide in Stefan, to tell him the truth about what had happened. She wasn’t sure whether she could do so without being told how stupid she was, without being told that she’d made a huge mistake, without being taunted by him about what really happened for the rest of her life.
Stefan flicked off the light on his way out the room.
“Where are you going?”
“To pack my stuff.”
“For what?”
“My trip’s tomorrow, remember. Southern Decadence; I told you a little while back.”
Simone remained quiet as Stefan made his way out of the room. She couldn’t help but think about Wayne, his smile, how good he had made her feel up until that point. The thought of him lying with Michelle and enjoying her body made Simone’s blood boil but she assured herself that they were both in jail regretting their night together.
Stefan packed his suitcase. He was feeling guilty for not canceling his trip and leaving Simone alone to mope. He reflected back on the argument they’d had the day before. He considered that Simone may have been right. Maybe he did ruin her life. She had vested him more influence over her life than she realized and he had taken advantage of it, not wanting to be in his trade without company, not wanting the only family he had left to leave him behind. Simone had become helpless. She wasn’t capable of governing her life.
Stefan was fearful of what would happen to her when he was no longer around to look out for her. She would fall victim to degenerates and victimizers. They would prey on her like vultures until there was nothing left of her. He couldn’t let that happen. He couldn’t leave Simone alone to suffer for any reason. Not even death. How would he be able to rest in peace if he did? He took the necessary steps to make sure that he didn’t leave Simone in the world to suffer after he was gone. She might not go with him but she wouldn’t be far behind him.
Stefan stopped packing his suitcase to answer the phone. “Hello,” Stefan said.
“You still going?” Paris blurted out.
“Damn, not hi, how you doing, what you doing, kiss my ass, nothing; just are you still going.”
“Naw, I asked ’cause I talked to Crystal and he said he ain’t going.”
“What!” Stefan exclaimed.
“Yeah, that’s what he said; guess he can’t pull himself from under that nigga he be fucking with.”
Stefan shook his head. “I can’t believe this.”
“You can’t believe it,” Paris said. “I paid for his reservations; how you think I feel?”
“That’s fucked up.”
“I know, right,” Paris said. “Do you think Simone might want to go? I’d hate for my money to go to waste.”
Stefan plopped down on his bed and took a deep breath. “I don’t know. She’s going through it right now.”
“What you mean?”
“You haven’t seen the news?”
“Hell naw; you know I don’t watch that shit,” Paris said. “Just tell me what’s going on.”
“You know she went to see ol’ boy the other night, right,” Stefan said. “Well, when she got there, he tried to get her to have a threesome with him and this other chick. When she said no and tried to leave, they held her down and raped her.”
“What!” Paris exclaimed.
“You heard me,” Stefan said. “They held her down, burnt her with cigarettes, and some more shit.”
“Is she okay?”
“Yeah, for the most part,” Stefan said. “She’s real hurt behind it though. You know, going through the motions.”
“Well, this might be a good opportunity for her to get out and get her mind off things.”
“True, I’ll check and see how she feels about it.”
“Well, hurry up,” Paris said. “Ain’t like she’s got a lot of time to decide.”
“Awright, I’ll hit you back in a minute.”
Stefan pulled his extra luggage bag out of the closet and dragged it toward Simone’s room. I guess I better get her shit packed.
19
Simone had been in high spirits ever since she stepped off the plane into New Orleans. She was embarrassed about how nervous she was when Stefan announced that she would be accompanying him on his trip.
She was taken in by the rainbow colors that lined the street and the banners hanging in front of the clubs and restaurants with “Welcome to SDGMs XXXVII” displayed on them. She started to feel a bit over, as well as under dressed, as she took notice of those around her. People were wearing everything from cabarets to cow customs with udders dangling from their crotches. Stefan wore a blue headdress and a black cabaret with silver ostrich feathers. Paris wore a short zebra-print, halter-style dress and black glitter covered the exposed parts of his body. Simone felt out of place, wearing a skirt and a tank top.
She was amazed at all the different types of men that she saw displaying their gay pride. Big, brawny men wearing tall wigs and leather jumpsuits; tall, slinky men wearing short, sheer dresses and long, crisscross, glittery eyelashes; and hard-body men she would have sworn were straight if she hadn’t seen them parading around in bright-colored Speedos, carrying huge, penis-shaped balloons.
Simone had never known of an event like Southern Decadence, where people could walk around barely dressed to relieve themselves of the sauna-like heat, where cocktails were served and drunk on the street in twenty-four-ounce cups, where people could engage in sexual acts and seemingly go unnoticed, where those who weren’t heterosexuals could be themselves without being ridiculed.
It was after twelve o’clock when Simone, Stefan, and Paris decided to venture into the Bourbon Pub to join the party and dance events. Despite how crowded it was, the three managed to find seats at the bar. They ordered their drinks and directed their attention to the festivities. Simone was exhausted. Her feet hurt from all the walking they had done and she was tipsy from all the drinks she had consumed. Just as she was about to get out of her seat and tell Stefan and Paris that she was going back to the hotel to call it a night, a woman stood in front of her, reaching out her hand.
“Hey, I’m Jana.”
Simone looked the woman up and down, before shaking her hand. “Hi.”
“And your name is?” Jana asked.
Simone sighed. “Mona.”
“Oh, that’s cute.”
Jana stood there and continued to talk, hoping Simone would warm up to her.
